Cinderchloe
by deessedelune1
Summary: Cinderella..Chlex Style
1. Chapter 1

A/N:  I know that I shouldn't try to juggle three stories, but this idea came to me through Tandy at NS.net.  She suggested this challenge, and it just called to me that it was just wrong not to answer.  So many thanks to Tandy for the challenge, and I certainly hope that I'll do your idea justice.

TITLE:  Cinderchloe

AUTHOR:  Kaya

EMAIL: deessedelune@yahoo.com

DESCRIPTION:  Cinderella..Chlex style.

RATING:  Rated PG-13 for Language and Sexual Content

DISCLAIMER:  I own none of these people.  I just like to borrow.

CHAPTER ONE

"Please, grandpa.." the little girl begged.  "Please tell me the story again."

"But, honey, I've told you that story a million times."

 "That's okay.  It's my favorite."  She emphasized her point with a toothy grin.

The grandfather could only shake his head in an obvious defeat.  "Alright," he conceded.  "Let me see..how does it start again?" he teased.

The girl rolled her eyes in disbelief.  "It's 'Once Upon A Time', Grandpa."

He laughed.  "That's right," he said.  "Once upon a time, there was a young reporter living with her father.  They lived a happy life together.."

"She had three friends: a coffee shop owner, a farmboy and a judge's son.  One summer, the judge's son had to go away for a vacation at his grandfather's place in Gotham City, leaving the reporter, the shop owner and the farmboy to their own devices.  And this is where our story begins.."

Chloe Sullivan was tapping away at her computer, trying to finish the last piece for this week's Torch.  Deep in thought and adrenaline pumping through her typing fingers, she was on a roll until..

"Chloe," someone interrupted her train of thought as a hand waved between her and the computer monitor.

Annoyed, she turned to that person.  "Clark, I'm in the middle of something here," she pointed out.

"I know," Clark shrugged.  "But I need you to do something for me."

Chloe looked at him incredulously.  "Clark, I have to email the layout to the printers in 30 minutes.  Torch..slightly more important."

"Please, Chloe," Clark begged, attempting a rather pitiful try at puppy dog eyes.  'Somebody ought to tell him about that,' she thought.

"Fine," she finally conceded.  "What is it?"

"I need you to research what Lana would want for her birthday," he smiled.

Appalled at the pettiness of the request, Chloe's jaw nearly dropped.  "Clark, her birthday isn't until three months from now.."

"Well, I want to be prepared," he defended himself.

"You could just ask her," she told him.

"But I want it to be a surprise."

The blonde reporter threw her hands in the air.  "Does it really have to happen now?  I really need to submit this layout to the printers or Mike will have my head for making him work overtime again."

"Yes," Clark whined.  "Please, Chloe?  As a favor for me?"

Chloe rolled her eyes in defeat.  "Fine, come back in fifteen minutes," she surrendered.  "Now shoo!"

When Clark left, she grabbed her cell phone.  "Mike, it's Chloe.  I know, I know, it's going to be late again," she sighed in frustration.  "Yeah, it's a Clark thing."


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

_Disclaimers in Chapter One_

_ "Meanwhile, on the other side of the village was a castle.  In this castle lived a king and his son, the prince.  Well, technically, only the prince lived in the castle.  The king would drop by to check on him once in a while after he exiled his son."_  
  
_"But why was the prince exiled, Grandpa?"_  
  
_"Let's just say that the prince needed a lesson on growing up.  So anyway, the prince was a rather miserable anti-social.  Knowing that the prince had little contact with the townsfolk, the king was worried that the prince might becoming into a serious recluse."_

"Lex, I'm worried about you," Lionel frowned.

The younger Luthor raised an eyebrow.  "Dad, could you give a fair warning if you're going to crack a joke?" he said.  "It's rather disturbing, really."

The patriarch shook his head.  "I am serious, Alexander," he reprimanded his son.  "You've been locked up in this musty old mansion for days, with the exception of going to the plant, which is equally foreboding.  Here I am thinking that you've outgrown your goth days."

Lex nearly smiled at his father's familiarity with teenage pop culture.  "Gee, is that sincerity?"

"Will you quit with the wisecracks?" Lionel snapped.  "I sent you here to grow up, not to exile yourself further from reality."

"Newsflash, Dad," his son retorted.  "Smallville is as far from reality as you could possibly get."

Lionel sighed.  "You're not making this any easier on the both of us, Lex."

"If I did, I know I'd be disappointing you, Dad."

"Fine," the father resigned.  "You want to play hardball, then I'll play hardball.  I'm retiring in a year."

The news startled Lex.  He expected the devil to live forever, and even if Lionel was mortal, he didn't expect the end of his father's reign to end so soon.

Lionel, satisfied that he had his firstborn's full attention, continued.  "Despite whatever hardship I've laid upon you, you've always been my intended heir.  And it will be that way.  But I need to know that you've acquired some sense of responsibility before I hand you the keys to the kingdom."

"And how would you want me to prove that to you, Dad?" Lex inquired.  "Sell you my soul."

"I may have been hard on you, son," the patriarch replied.  "But it was all in the name of your conditioning for what is to come."

He took a breath before he moved forward.  "I expect you to be married by the time I hand over LuthorCorp."

Lex guffawed.  "You have to be kidding."

"Please, Lex.  Hell can only take one winter at a time," Lionel joked, referring to Lex's earlier crack.  "I'm serious, Alexander."

"After two failed marriages, or should I say attempted murders," the son pointed out.  "Do you really expect me to be open to matrimony?"

"Given the right person."

"You are in need of serious psychiatric help, Dad."

Lionel smirked.  "Since you're so resistant about heading out there to meet new people, Alexander, then you leave me no choice but to bring them here to you."

"We shall have a ball a fortnight from now.  With every soul in Smallville invited.  If you haven't found a worthy adversary to consider as your future bride by then, I will start making amends to name Lucas as the heir."

"You wouldn't dare," Lex challenged.

"Try me," his father taunted.  "I'm not asking you to find a bride in two weeks, Lex.  I just want proof that you'll at least try.  You have fourteen days, son.  Make use of it well."

Knowing that he had made his point, Lionel left the room to prepare for the upcoming festivities.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

_Disclaimers in Chapter One_

_"Wow, Grandpa, was there really going to be a ball?" _

_"Yes, and the news spread quickly throughout the kingdom, including to the young reporter and her friends." _

Chloe, Lana and Clark were sitting around the Talon, chatting about the said ball.  

"So is it true that the Luthors hired your mom to plan the event?" Lana asked Clark.

The farmboy nodded.  "Yes, catering and everything.  She's pretty excited."

"So am I," the Talon owner responded.  "I can't wait to go.  Aren't you, Chloe?"

"I guess," the blonde shrugged.  The duo looked at her in disbelief.  "What's wrong?" Lana asked.

"Nothing," Chloe responded.  "Just a little skeptical that Lionel would throw such an elegant affair in Smallville just for the hell of it."

"We can be elegant," the brunette protested.

"That's not what I meant.  What I mean is that Lionel Luthor is not exactly Mr. Congeniality.  It's not likely that he's throwing this bash without a motive."

Lana frowned.  "Why are you always so pessimistic about everything?"

"It's called being realistic, Lana."

"Lana is right," Clark interrupted, causing Chloe to roll her eyes.  'Of course, he'd defend her,' she thought.  "Maybe Lionel just had a change of heart about Smallville and decided to do some outreach to the townsfolk."

"Yeah, I bet that's it," Chloe deadpanned dryly.

"Well," Lana cheered.  "If you're not going, then I guess Clark and I will be dates together.  Is that okay with you, Clark?" she asked, fluttering her eyelashes at the boy.

"Of course," he croaked out.

Chloe's jaw dropped at Lana's assumption, but she was even more surprised when Lana added, "Can I borrow the pink dress you wore to the prom?"

"I guess" was the only answer she could muster.

"Great!" Lana happily declared, oblivious to her friend's disappointment.  "Well, Clark and I are going to talk about our plans over by the counter, so we won't bother you about it.  I'll see you at home."  With that, she walked away with the farmboy in tow.

Chloe slumped her shoulders, saddened by the fact that her two best friends just blew her off for each other and that now she had nothing to wear to the ball even if she did want to go.  "Oh, well, I have stuff to do any way," she told herself in an attempt to make herself feel better.

"Stuff to do when?" a voice said behind her.

She quickly turned around to find the LuthorCorp scion standing by her.  "Nothing," she whispered shyly.

"Well, in that case, can I sit with you?" Lex inquired.

Chloe was shocked at his request and pondered for an answer.  It took Lex's clearing his throat in anticipation for her to utter a "sure", and he proceeded to sit across from her.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

_Disclaimers in Chapter One_

_"And then what happened?  Did they kiss and lived happily ever after?" _

_"Not quite yet.  And aren't you too young to know anything about kissing?"_

_"Oh, Grandpa, I'm six and a half.  I know everything about anything."_

_"Well, then maybe I should stop the story since you know it already."_

_"Nooo!  I do know it, but I want you to tell it, please?"_

_"Alright, so the prince and the reporter were talking for hours.."_

"So let me get this straight, Chloe," Lex teasingly said as he put down his cup and leaned closer to the blonde.  "You can't dance?"

"Well, I can do your run-of-the-mill clumsy booty shake," she explained.  "But just don't expect me to break out any ballet or hip-hop moves anytime soon."

Lex broke out a genuine smile, which strangely drew flutters from Chloe's chest.  She breathed in sharply, surprised at the effect that had on her, but decided that it was nothing and perished the thought.

"What about you, Lex?" Chloe turned the tables.  "I bet you kept the ladies intrigued with your 'moves'."

That earned a smirk from Lex.  "I'll leave the clumsy booty shake to you, Chloe," he joked.  "I just prefer to watch."

Chloe raised an eyebrow at the possible innuendo that statement held.  "Prefer to watch?" she asked teasingly.  "Lex Luthor, I never pegged you to be a voyeur."

"Well, that's because I do all the pegging, Miss Sullivan," he returned, eyes set on hers.

Chloe blushed at the thought.  She licked her lips and shook off any thoughts of Lex being interested in her.  After all, if she could not even hold the attention of a rural famrboy, what could possibly make her think that she was in the same league as a sophisticated billionaire?

Lex noticed the frown growing on her face.  "Chloe, is something wrong?"

"No," she answered right away, which increased his concern even more.  "I'm fine."  She mustered to paste a smile on her face, but Lex wasn't fully convinced.

Knowing better than to prod the reporter, he changed the subject.  "So I'm sure that you've heard about my father's insane ball," he started.  "Will we be expecting you then?"

Chloe snorted.  "I'm sad to say not," she replied.

"Why not?" Lex frowned.  

"Balls are just not my scene," Chloe lied, wringing her napkin in the process.  "Besides, I have nothing to wear and too many things to do."

Her nervous tick did not go unnoticed by the disappointed Lex.  He knew that there was more to this than she was coughing up, but he had a feeling that despite being a reporter, Chloe hated to be interrogated.

'Some other time,' he thought.  He was about to start another subject, when someone cleared his throat from behind Chloe.

She turned around as Lex looked up, and they were greeted by the sight of Lionel Luthor, who was, as expected, sticking out like a sore thumb in the Talon.

"Miss Sullivan," he addressed her.  "So nice to see you."

"Mr. Luthor," she replied tersely.  

"Would you mind leaving me a few moments with my son?" he asked surprisingly in a nice manner.

This threw Chloe for a loop, but she regained her composure as she excused herself from the table.

"See you later, Chloe," Lex told her, and she smiled back.

Lionel was witnessing this exchange, and he thought to himself, 'Interesting.'

_"So was the king spying on them, grandpa?" _

_"Well, spying is too negative of a word, isn't it?  Let's just say that he was monitoring them."_

_"Oh, please!  He was spying."_

_The grandfather laughed.  "Alright, alright, so he was spying on them, but with good intentions.  So back to the king and the prince.."_

Lionel sat himself opposite Lex, where Chloe once was.  The son rolled his eyes before he spoke.  "Honoring the peasants with your presence, Dad?"

The older man sighed.  "Lex, it's laughable at how little you know me."

"And whose fault would that be?" Lex snared.

"Mine, I must admit," Lionel confessed regrettably.  "But I would like to remedy that."

Lex narrowed his eyes at him.  "You've had over two decades to get things right.  What's so different about now?"

There was an uncomfortable silence as Lionel thought about whether it was wise to be candid in an area where anyone in Smallville could easily eavesdrop.  Seeing that the detrimental consequences of shutting his son out now far outweighed those of nosy neighbors, he continued.  "Lex, you would be surprised what perspective old age can bring to someone," he said with much candor.  "Especially with a catalyst such as cancer."

Lex paled at the news.  "Dad.." he stammered, trying to find the right things to say. 

Lionel held a hand up.  "Son, it's okay," he assured him gently, which freaked Lex out more.  "I consider it as karma.  For all the misdeeds I've done in my past.  I think that the only reason I'm still living is that I've done a few good things in my past, and I've been given time to make amends."

Lionel let out a sigh and continued.  "That is why I want you to secure a future for yourself, Lex.  The ball is neither a threat nor an ultimatum.  I just wanted you to find someone to care for you as your mother and Pamela did."

While the Luthor resolve was still embedded into either man's genes, it proved superficial as Lex's heart was beating fast at his father's confession.  "Well, it seems that you're on board, Dad," he half-joked.

Lionel laughed, which did catch the attention of some Talon patrons.  While an eerie silence came over the witnesses, the father and son continued their bonding moment.

"So, son, care to tell me about you and Miss Sullivan?" Lionel inquired.

Lex raised an eyebrow.  "Dad.." he warned.

"Hey now," the father threw his hands in the air as a sign of innocence.  "Despite my impeccable..or should I say despicable, record in the past, I have no perverse intentions for the young Miss Sullivan."

Lex stealthily let out a sigh of relief, which Lionel caught.  "Though it would seem that you may have an ulterior motive behind your friendship."

"What are you talking about?" Lex denied.  "She and I are just friends."

Lionel smirked.  "Exact words I told a friend when he teased me about your mother."

Lex stared his father in the eye, searching for any sign of deception.  Either his father remarkably improved his lying skills or he was sincere, Lex could not determine.

"Your mother was a woman first, Alexander," his father reminded him.  "And what a woman she was.  Did not buy any of my bullshit from day one.  It wasn't until I owned up to my own pride and realized that I was in love, she finally gave me a chance."

"Don't waste your time with fate, Lex," Lionel continued.  "If I learned anything from my love for your mother, time is too short, even if it was for ten years or a hundred."

Still sensing his son's disbelief, Lionel drew on his patience and gave up for the day.  But before he could leave, they were interrupted by Lana.

"Is there anything else you need, Lex?" she asked with feigned innocence.

"Certainly nothing he can't buy at the corner of Main Street at night if he wanted to," grumbled Lionel, glaring at the obviously fake congeniality from the young woman.  'Like aunt, like niece,' he thought.

He stood up and nodded to his son before leaving the establishment.  Once he was outside, he pulled his cell phone from his pocket.

"Martha," he greeted.  "I need a favor."


	5. Chapter 5

A/N:  Alright, so here's the plan.  You read this, you don't get mad, and I promise some good old-fashioned Chlex in the next chapter.  It's still a long ways to the ball, and I figure that we ought to make Lex work to convince Cinderchloe that she needs to go.  Enjoy this piece, and thank you, thank you, thank you for your wonderful feedback.

CHAPTER FIVE

Disclaimer in Chapter One

"So she assumed that I wasn't going, asked Clark to be her date and asked me if she could borrow my pink dress," Chloe ranted on the phone.

Pete Ross, the recipient of a Chloe Sullivan vent session, listened patiently.  "Man, that's just wrong," he said sympathetically.  "If I were there, I'd bring you, but I'm stuck here while Paps is sick."

"I know, Pete," she sighed.  "Thanks for offering, anyway.  It's not like I could go; I have nothing to wear."

"That's no excuse," her friend protested.  "You could always buy a new dress."

"Yeah, but I just really don't want to go, Pete," she reiterated.

"Why not?"

"Because!" she snapped.  "Why is everyone so dead set in having me go to this ball?  It's not going to be the end-all for my life if I missed a Luthor ball.  Besides, you hated the Luthors."

"Yes, but that wouldn't stop me from partying with every soul in Smallville, even if it is with the devil," Pete argued.  "Now tell me, why are you really upset?  Is it because of Clark and Lana?"

"Please!" Chloe guffawed.  "I'm over him, Pete.  I really am.  I just..I just don't want to go to this thing alone.  I'm sick and tired of being un-loved, I guess."

"I love you," he offered as a consolation.

"Thanks," the blonde mocked with teasing sarcasm.  "I love you, too, but we both know that we only make for great friends."

"Well, yes, because dating you would be like dating my sister."

"Exactly," she sighed.  "I just want to meet someone who wouldn't view me as their sisterly friend."

"You will, Chloe," he assured her.  "It could be someone just under your nose."

"I wish you're right."

Their conversation continued until a knock tapped on Chloe's door.  "Yah?" she called out.

Lana popped her head.  "Hi," she said blithely.  "Are you done with the pre-calculus homework?"

"I haven't started it yet," Chloe frowned, putting the phone aside to talk to the brunette.

"Well, can you get it done in an hour?" the other girl demanded.  "I need to copy it before I want to go to bed."

"I'm still talking to Pete," Chloe pointed out.

"Please, Chloe?" she begged.  "I'm failing in that class.  I really need this."

"Fine," the reporter grumbled.  "Give me an hour."  She turned to continue her conversation with Pete.

"By the way," Lana added.  "Can I borrow the phone?  I need to talk to Clark about the ball."

Chloe looked at her incredulously.  She could not believe Lana's gall.  

"What?" Lana asked innocently.  "You'll be doing the homework; you can't possibly talk on the phone while doing it.  I need a perfect homework, Chloe."

Chloe only shook her head in disbelief.  "Give me a minute."

Lana left, and Chloe went back to the phone.  "You need to quit being a pushover," Pete pointed out.

Chloe could only sigh in return.

The next day, the blonde reporter was in the Torch office, looking over the monitor for mistakes in the article.

"Hi," a voice called to her from the doorway.  Lex was greeting her view when she turned.  A genuine smile grew on her face as she stood to meet him.  He strode into the room, hands in his tailored pants pockets.

"Hi," she said back.

"I wanted to stop by to apologize for yesterday," Lex explained.  "My father needed to talk to me."

"It's fine," she interjected with understanding.  "He seemed like he wanted to talk to you."

Lex nodded, thankful that he did not need to elaborate about his odd conversation with Lionel.  "Yeah," he said softly.  "I was wondering if I could make it up with dinner."

"I don't think so, Lex," Chloe refused.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

Disclaimer in Chapter One 

Shocked at Chloe's blatant refusal, Lex uttered, "Excuse me?"

"I'm sorry," Chloe practically slapped her forehead for the brainfart.  "I meant that I have so many things to do.  The Torch needs to be in by today, and I have a couple of articles left to do."

"Chloe Sullivan, procrastinator," Lex said skeptically.  "I never pegged you for one."

"Is this a pegging moment, Lex?" she teased, remembering their joke from the day before.  Lex wanted to reply to her statement with another innuendo-laden response, but he thought the better of it.

A confused Chloe shrugged.  "Anyways, I still have the articles to do, procrastinating or not."

Lex glanced at the Mac and moved closer.  The blonde wanted to stop him, but it was too late.  He was reading the first lines when he said, "Chloe, these are Lana and Clark's articles.  Why are you doing these for them?  In their credit, may I add?"

"Finishing them," she weakly corrected, which elicited a glare from Lex.  "They went shopping for ball stuff in Metropolis, so I got stuck with half-done articles."

"That's not acceptable, Chloe," the billionaire argued.  "You're their friend, not their slave."

"I know that," she half-defended.  "I'm just helping out, that's all."

Lex looked at her with concern.  "Helping out is one thing," he told her.  "Being a pushover is another.  They're our friends, Chloe, but we both know that they're abusing your goodwill."

Chloe frowned, her mood souring by the second.  "How dare you," she snapped.  "How dare you accuse me of being a pushover when I'm just trying to be a good friend.  But you wouldn't know what that would entail, wouldn't you, Lex, as you don't even have real friends."

That stung Lex, and the expression on his face reflected that.  Even worse, Chloe knew it, and guilt flooded her emotions.  "I'm sorry," she stuttered.  "I didn't mean.."

"Yes, you did," he interjected, but his tone remained calm.  "And you're right.  I never really have any real friends, but one thing I know for sure is that real friends treat each other with respect and care."

Chloe crimsoned with shame and remain speechless.  Giving up, Lex turned around to leave, but as he was about to take a step, a hand on his arm stopped him.

"Lex, I'm sorry," Chloe practically begged as tears began to flow down her cheeks.  "I was just frustrated with the way they've been treating me, and I took it out on you."   

The billionaire hesitated, but his regard for the blonde took the better of him.  He cupped her face to wipe the tears away, and he proceeded to open his arms.  Chloe stepped into them and wrapped her arms around him.

"Well," Lex finally spoke after a long moment of silence.  "How about we finish your articles, so you can make it to dinner?"

"We?" she asked incredulously, loosening her hug to look up at him.

"You can't finish these articles by yourself," he pointed out.  "They'll be late."

"You have a good point," she agreed. 

"I'll help you on one condition."  She looked at him questioningly.  "You take the credit you deserve, and I get mine."

"Lex Luthor, guest reporter," she grinned.  "Smallville High will never buy it."

"Isn't that the best part?"

Later that night, Chloe plopped herself on her bed.  Or what was once her bed as it seemed that a mountain of clothes had taken over.  "Argh," she grumbled, frustrated that she could not find anything to wear and concerned that she was way too invested into a small dinner with Lex Luthor.

She stood herself up and dug through the mound again, finally settling on a nice crimson number.  After she had put it on, she heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," she called out, and Lana poked her head in.  

"Hey," the brunette greeted.  "Nice dress, but I think that would be too dressy for school tomorrow."

Chloe laughed.  "It's not for school, Lana."

"Well, then it would be too casual for the ball," she offered.

"Not that, either."

"You have a date?" Lana inquired, incredulous at the thought.

The blonde was offended, but she thought that if she told Lana about Lex, her housemate would only blow the whole thing out of proportion.  "No, just meeting a friend," she said.

"Must be some friend," the Talon owner teased.  "But did you finish the English homework yet?"

"No, I'll finish it at the Torch tomorrow."

"What?" the brunette practically shrieked.  "You can't do that, Chloe.  I need that homework."

"Then why don't you do it yourself?" she answered in a controlled tone.

"Chloe, you can't leave me like this."

"Aren't you overreacting a bit?" Chloe inquired.  "It's homework; I'm sure that you're well capable of doing it yourself."

Lana was losing her patience.  "How dare you betray me like this?"

The blonde guffawed.  "Wow, hold it there, drama queen.  No one is betraying you."  Remembering Lex's little lecture earlier, she continued.  "Besides, I'm your friend, Lana; I'm not your slave.  It's one thing to ask for my help; it's another to abuse it."

"Is this about me and Clark going to the ball?" her housemate brought up, clearly missing the point.  "I thought that you were okay with that.  You yourself said that you weren't going to the ball."

"No," she protested.  "It has nothing to do with you or Clark or the ball.  I just want to have some time to myself.  I just spent the day doing your articles, and every night, I can barely do anything without your breathing down my back about schoolwork.  Do your own work, Lana.  I have stuff to do."

With that, she took her sweater and purse and stormed out of the room, leaving a rather shocked Lana in her wake.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N:  Thanks to everyone for your encouragement.  The reviews to all my fics have been extremely supportive, so as part of Thanksgiving, I'd like to show my appreciation to y'all by updating each one of them.  Hope you enjoy.

CHAPTER SEVEN

_Disclaimer in Chapter One_ __

_"Wow, she was really mad, wasn't she?"_

_"Of course, wouldn't you be if your friends were abusing you?"_

_"Yep, yep, yep.  But I know better than to have my friends trample all over me, Grandpa."_

_"That's my girl."_

Chloe entered the space with much trepidation.  "Lex?" she nervously called out as she stepped forward.  The garden was almost dark, candles serving as the only light to her path.  A bright space was right before her with only a turn around the hedge left between her and the said light.

When she finally made the turn, she was greeted by candles everywhere.  In the middle of everything was an elegantly placed table, where Lex Luthor sat.

Once he saw her, he immediately stood and walked over to greet her.  "Thanks for coming," he told her with sincere appreciation.

She nodded, still speechless from the opulent preparations, but she followed when he led her to the table.  He grabbed a hand bell and rang it twice.  Two servants came out of nowhere, carrying trays of food and drinks.

One of them laid a plate in front of Chloe, and on top was a hefty serving of meatloaf.

"How did you know that this was my favorite food?" she grinned.

The billionaire feigned a look of innocence.  "What makes you think that this was served specifically for you?" he teased.  "The world doesn't revolve around you, Miss Sullivan."

Slightly taken aback, Chloe decided that it was better off to stay quiet, and Lex, sensing her guard being increased, responded before it became too late.  "Chloe, I was kidding," he assured her gently.  "Maybe perhaps someone relayed your dad's claim that you can live the rest of your days with meatloaf to the chef."

Chloe grinned.  "I'm sorry," she conceded.  "I'm just not used to this."

"It's okay," he said softly.  "Tonight is for you..for all of your hard work on the Torch, okay?"

The blonde nodded in response.  The rest of the meal went smoothly as the duo was involved in their usual round of verbal judo.  When the food and the wine eventually disappeared, Lex asked her if she wanted to take a walk around the grounds.

"To familiarize yourself if you decide to snoop around," he joked.

Chloe playfully smacked him on the arm.  "Smartass," she responded.

_"Meanwhile, back at her house, bad forces are trying to conspire against the two of them."_

_"Bad, bad people."_

_"Exactly."_

"I'm serious, Clark!" Lana declared as Clark and Pete listened during a three-way set up by Lana herself.  "I really think that there is something wrong with Chloe."

Pete snickered.  "Lana, just because she wouldn't do your homework doesn't mean that there's something wrong with her."

"It's not that, Pete," she protested.  "I mean, it's only part of her recent meta..meta.."

"Metabolism?" Clark offered.

Pete sighed.  "No, Clark, I think she was aiming for metamorphosis."

"That's it," she interjected.  "I mean, she's gotten so aggressive and rebellious, and that's not her at all."

"As opposed to being the town pushover to you two?" Pete pointed out with disbelief.  "Really, Lana, you're more than exaggerating here."

"Pete, you just don't understand."

"Oh, I understand all right.  I understand that neither of you just get it.  Look, I've got to go.  It'll take me a lifetime to drill the facts through your heads, and frankly, I don't have the time."  With that, he hung up.

"What's up his butt?" Lana asked, still oblivious to Pete's point.

Clark shrugged.  "I don't know."

_"Wow, those bad people are really dumb, Grandpa.  Why even bother?" the little girl turned to her grandfather, rolling her eyes._ __

_"Well, sweetheart, you will eventually learn that when people are determined to make your life miserable, there is no stopping them."_

_She smirked.  "Kinda like what you did with Mom and Dad?"_

_"Smartass."_

_"Don't curse, Grandpa.  You may have to pay me like Daddy does every time he curses."_

_"Smartass," the grandfather added as he reached for his wallet and handed the girl a dollar bill.  The girl stared at the bill incredulously, so he handed her a larger bill.  _

_She smiled in response.  "Okay, Grandpa, so what happened next?"_


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT 

_Disclaimers in Chapter One_

_"What happened next was that the reporter unknowingly won the heart of the prince completely, but it wasn't time for her to know that..yet."_

Chloe was in the middle of animatedly narrating a "stupid Clark" story when she noticed that Lex was barely saying anything.  "I'm talking too much?" she shyly cringed, addressing the issue at hand.

Broken out of a trance, Lex immediately denied it.  "No, of course not.  I was just..can I say something honestly?"

"Absolutely."

"Without freaking you out?"

Chloe raised an eyebrow.  "Okay.." she said hesitantly.

Lex smiled warmly in an effort to ease her concern.  "I was slightly distracted by our conversation, because you remind me so much of my mother."

"How so?"

"Just the way you speak so passionately about everything that you care about. The way you smile at my small, and often dry, attempts at humor.  My mom used to be the only person that really did that with me.  And now you."

"Thanks, I think," she accepted with some doubt.  "Though I'm sorry if.."

"Reminding me of my mother brings nothing but joy in my heart, Chloe.  Trust me.  Even though I know that the woman could have been flawed in some ways, every bit of memory I have of her was just of perfection.  And reminding me that perfection was part of my history—and with your friendship, my future—gives me hope."

A smile broke into Chloe's face at the compliment.  "It's an honor for you to liken me to your mother, Lex.  I know how much she meant to you."

Lex was about to interject about her importance to him as well, but thought the better of it.

"It's getting late," she pointed out.  "I'll probably need to go."

Lex nodded in response, terribly disappointed that the night had to end.  Somehow, acknowledging Chloe's departure gave him a feeling of emptiness inside.  Yet, he maintained his composure as he walked her to the car.

Before she entered her transport, she turned to him and said, "Perfection isn't just a part of your history or your future, Lex.  It is part of you."  She quickly landed a peck on his cheek and entered the vehicle before he could say a word.

As her ride went away, Lex could not help but caress the area of his face, still tingling from the touch of Chloe's lips.  He also could help but realize that a real smile had been plastered on his face since a very long time.

_"Are they going to get married then?"_

_"Not quite yet, little one.  Because the princess managed to encounter some problems when she got home."_

Chloe entered her home only to find Clark, Lana and Gabe waiting for her in the living room.  The younger ones had rather stoic expressions on their faces, but her father's emotional state was quite transparent from the expression he wore on his.

It seemed that the two just told Gabe Sullivan that his daughter went on a date with his boss.


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE

_Disclaimers in Chapter One_

"Lex Luthor?!?" he practically screamed.  "You went on a date with Lex Luthor?!?"

Chloe frowned.  Her father was not this irrational, unless of course..  She glared at her two "friends" and huffed, "Yes.  It was a rather nice one, might I add."

"But Chloe, he's my boss."

"So?  He's my friend."

"Oh, and he's your friend now?" Clark interjected.

"Yes, Clark, and if he weren't dating me, you would have said the same thing," she rebutted.  "Funny how circumstances can easily turn friendships."

"Exactly," Lana added.  "Which is why we are concerned for you."

Chloe shook her head.  "How could you judge him on something he hasn't yet done?  I never anticipated that you would turn on me like this, and you did!"

"But Chloe," Clark took his turn.  "He has done this to many other women.."

"But not me."

"What makes you think that you're any different from them?" Lana pointed out, which left Chloe speechless.  It was a rather good point, but..

"Until he proves himself un-worthy of my company, he doesn't deserve this maltreatment.  Not from me, and especially not from any of you," she spat out.  "I'll continue to see him, and there's nothing you can do about it."

"Oh, yes, there is," Gabe finally spoke again.

Chloe was beside herself.  Not once had her father asserted himself into any private aspect of her life.  Even when her mother left them behind, he always deemed her mature enough to know what she needed to do, even when it meant to need him to support her.

Yet, this was clearly a different Gabe facing her now.  One that had been tainted by two people she thought she could trust.

She narrowed her eyes at him.  "What do you mean, daddy?" she asked, masking the anger building up inside her.

"You know exactly what I mean," he retorted, flailing his arms in an irrational manner.  "I will not let you see him, Chloe.  Not while I'm still breathing."

"And how exactly would you go about in doing this?" she demanded, crossing her arms across her chest in defiance.  

"You're grounded."

"Grounded?!?" she screeched.  "I've never been grounded in my entire life!"

"You've never given me any reasons to ground you," was his response.

"Dad," she practically pleaded.  Not for his mercy, but for his sanity to come back.  "This hardly constitutes as grounds for a punishment.  We've done nothing wrong."

Gabe sighed, which gave the younger Sullivan some hope that maybe his saner side was coming back.  "Chloe," he started.  "I realize that, but in cases like this, I think that preventive measures would be necessary."

His daughter rolled her eyes.  "You have got to be kidding me!  Preventive measures!  Preventive is to keep me in balls and chain to stop me from pursuing any potentially dangerous leads to my stories.  Preventive is *not* to keep me from dating Lex Luthor.  You can't be serious!"

"Oh, I'm serious alright," Gabe responded back, his temper clearly being tested.  "And to show you just how serious I am, you cannot go to any functions that has any remote possibility of Lex being there.  That includes the ball."

Chloe sighed in defeat.  "It's not like I'm going anyway," she muttered.  "Fine, do whatever you need to do.  Just don't expect me to talk to you."  She moved her glare from him to her two *former* friends.  "Any of you."

With resignation, she fled to her room, but not without slamming the door for emphasis.

Gabe sighed similarly in defeat.  He truly believed that he was doing what was best for Chloe.  Surely, Lex may be a decent guy, but he wasn't going to take any chances with him when it came to Chloe.  Her heart had been broken enough from her mother to her recent run-ins with Smallville's freakiest.  The more Chloe got herself into a mess, the more Gabe blamed himself for being less involved in his daughter's life.

Clark clapped him on the shoulder and reassured him that it was for the best.  Lana nodded her concurrence, but both did not offer the kind of consolation that Gabe really needed.  When they departed together, claiming to study, the older Sullivan's doubts grew.  Was he just suckered into a baseless fight with his daughter?

_"Well, duh.  Of course, he was, grandpa."_


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN

Disclaimers in Chapter One 

The following day, Gabe Sullivan marched down the halls of LexCorp, aiming for a specific office of a specific man.  He didn't even pause for Lex's assistant to permit his entry, nor did he care what he would be interrupting as he entered the room and slammed the door close.

Surprised but well-trained enough not to show it, Lex turned to him.  The glaring, thin-lipped expression on his plant manager's face only indicated one thing: He found out about the date with Chloe, and he was not happy about it.

"Gabe," Lex acknowledged him in the most stoic tone possible.  Which might have enflamed the older man more as his face crimsoned.

"Lex," Gabe said in a remarkably opposite tone than his demeanor indicated.  "I gather that you know why I'm here."

The younger man nodded.  "You found out about my date with Chloe," he responded calmly.

"My daughter, Lex," Gabe gritted.  "She's my only daughter."

Lex paused to think for a second before he spoke again.  He wanted to choose his words wisely as this was clearly a delicate issue for Gabe.  There was nothing he hated more than to anger the man any further than he already seemed to be.

"I know that, Gabe," he finally said in a soft tone.  "And I respect that more than you could ever imagine.  Which is why I regret that you had to find out about it in however way you did."

The older man was taken aback by Lex's response.  He had expected a rather defiant Lex, which would have given him sufficient permission to rip the Luthor a new one and to keep him away from Chloe..well, forever.

He did not, however, anticipate this calm and respectful version of Lex, and Gabe couldn't even begin to fathom how to handle it.

Before he could speak, Lex interjected.  "I should have approached you about it, Gabe.  Not for your permission, because that was for Chloe to grant.  But I would have liked your blessing just the same.  Like I do now."

If he was surprised before, Gabe was even more amazed now.  Thinking back to his original purpose, he managed to collect what was left over from his wits.  "Be that as it may, I still don't think that you should be acquainting yourself with my daughter in this capacity, Lex."

Lex looked into his eyes as if he was trying to read him, and that made the older man nervous.  What was there for Luthor to read, he thought to himself.

"You're concerned about my past relationships, Gabe?" Lex asked forthright.

Though Lex had a remarkable penchant to intimidate, Gabe stood his ground as solidly as he could, and said, "Yes.  And I think that you would understand that it's not a far-fetched concern."

Lex half-smiled.  "I agree," he said.  "If I were in your shoes, I would be worried for my daughter, too.  But while it is a concept that may be beyond anyone else's capability to comprehend, Chloe and I would like you to understand that our relationship is far from any that either one of us have had before."

Gabe eyed him suspiciously, gauging his sincerity, before saying, "And exactly what kind of relationship are you looking to pursue with my daughter, Lex?"

Sitting up straight and looking the senior man boldly in the eye, Lex answered with a serious tone, "I am in love with your daughter, Gabe."

"In love?" gaped the older man.  "With Chloe?"

Lex smiled widely, which baffled Gabe Sullivan even more.  "Chloe is a smart, charming woman," he started.  "I would be a fool to turn away from that..and from the kind of connection we have with each other."

Gabe remained speechless, which urged Lex to continue.  "Surely, Gabe, you've noticed some semblance of a relationship between Chloe and me?"

Lex's question pushed Gabe's thoughts back to the numerous times he had seen his daughter and his boss interacted.  The more scenes replayed in his head, the more evident he saw what Lex was referring to.  Chloe and Lex did have something between them that he had not seen replicated in their interactions with other people.  

Gabe sighed in defeat.  He had wronged his daughter last night.  Realizing that he didn't feel so bad about losing her to Lex, he felt slightly better, but not before he set the ground rules.

"Fine," he finally said.  "I can't stop you or Chloe from feeling the way you do, Lex, but as long as she lived under my care, there are ground rules to follow."

Lex nodded in agreement.  "Of course," he reinforced his stance over Gabe's demands.

"You know, you're making it hard for me to be mad at you, right?" Gabe smirked weakly, to which Lex chuckled.  "She's still my little girl, so if you hurt her.."

"Trust me, Gabe," Lex interjected.  "If I hurt her, she'll get her shots in first."

Gabe laughed understandably.  "But I won't hurt her, Gabe," the young Luthor assured him.  "I'd die first before that happens."

Chloe's father breathed deeply, realizing the significance of this moment.  "Alright, Lex," he said.  "I'll take your word.  I just hope that you'll do good by it."

Lex only nodded in response as the older man exited his office.  When Gabe reached his own office, he plopped himself into a chair and buried his face into his hands.  How is he going to make this up to Chloe?


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Disclaimers in Chapter One 

"Chloe, I'm home!" Gabe called out to a quiet Sullivan home.  Hoping that his daughter had managed to forgive his huge brain fart from the night before, he bellowed again, "Chloe!"

"Yeah, I'm here," a weak response came from living room right behind him.  

He quickly turned around, grabbing his heart in the process.  "Jeez!" he shrieked.  "Chloe, you scared the bejeesus out of me."

Chloe was lazily perched on the sofa with a book on her lap.  "Sorry," she mumbled as she shifted her obviously crestfallen face from him to the book she was reading.

Gabe dropped his briefcase by the door and shed his coat before inching closer to his daughter.  "You alright, honey?"

A half-hearted "fine" was the answer he received.  Feeling guilty as ever, Gabe sat himself in an open space on the couch.

"Look, honey," he sighed.  "About last night.."

Chloe shook her head to interrupt him.  "Don't worry about it, Dad," she responded.  "You were right."

Gabe raised an eyebrow.  Today was indeed a day of surprises.  "Right?  About what?"

"About Lex and me," she shrugged, not bothering to look up at her own father.  Whether it was out of indifference or whether she was trying to mask her own feelings, Gabe could not assess just yet.

"Honey, I don't understand."

Chloe eyed him with disbelief.  "Dad, you said last night that my relationship with Lex is just one of those things that shouldn't happen.  Especially for my safety."

She finally looked up at him.  "And you're right," she declared.  Gabe saw through her, however.  The pain in her eyes was an easy giveaway at how she really felt about this issue.

Exasperated, Gabe could only massage his temple with his right thumb and pointing finger.  He found it almost amusingly ironic that in the span of twenty-four hours, he went from adamantly protesting to, albeit begrudgingly, supporting Chloe and Lex in whatever romantic endeavor they pursue.

Because of his rash actions last night, he now felt compelled to convince Chloe that she ought to change her mind *again* about her connection with Lex.  Color him compassionate to Lex's cause now that he truly knew how the young man felt about his only child.

"Chloe," he stopped her, taking her hand into his.  "I wasn't myself last night.  The thought of you and Lex was just sprung on me, and I felt betrayed.  I wasn't really mad at you or Lex for dating; I was just ticked that I found out some other way."

Chloe looked up at him, an eyebrow raised.  "I really shouldn't done it, anyway," she pointed out.

He rolled his eyes.  His daughter was such a handful.  "Chloe, you're a grown woman," he said.  "If my anger didn't cloud my brain from rational thought last night, I would have said that you have the right to see whomever you please."

A sigh came out before he added, "As long as you tell me first."

Growing suspicious, Chloe blurted.  "Alright, what's gotten into you?"

"Common sense?" he offered weakly.  He knew that he just dug a deeper hole with that one.

She glared at him.  "Nice try, Dad."

"Fine, fine!"  He exasperatedly threw his hands in the air.  "I talked to Lex."

"Talked to Lex?" she questioned, eyeing him closely.  "I find that hard to believe."

"Okay, so it was more along the lines of yelling.."

"You yelled at him?" she practically shrieked, mortified at the thought of her irrational father wailing in front of his boss.

"Yes," Gabe quickly interjected before she grew more restless.  "But no one got hurt, and we ended up having an understanding."

"An understanding?" Chloe echoed, not quite sure as to where her father was going.

Gabe sighed.  This was going to be harder than he thought.  "Listen, I intended to go over his office, rip him a new one and retire."  

Chloe snorted, but he continued.  "*But* Lex gave me his perspective on your.." he hesitated, trying to dig for an appropriate word.  When he came up with nothing, he just said, "Relationship."

"And what perspective would that be?" she inquired, growing more curious at what really occurred between her father and Lex that day.

Gabe's expression grew softer.  "He cares about you, honey," he assured her.  "And as your father, that suffices.  For now." He grinned for good measure.

Chloe rolled her eyes at her father's dorkiness, duly noting, however, what he had claimed Lex to have said during their discussion.  Lex caring about her?  Ha.

Still incredulous, she shook her head.  "As great as that may be, Dad," she said tiredly.  "I still think you were initially right.  I am way out of my league with Lex.  I mean, I can't even cut it with a farmboy like Clark.  I don't know why I thought I could handle Lex."

"But honey.." Gabe started to protest, but Chloe was adamant in her resolve.

"It's okay, Dad, really," she insisted as she kissed him on the cheek.  She swung herself around and stood up to head up to her room.  "Good night, Dad."

She ran upstairs as fast as she could.  When she finally got into her room, she gently closed the door and slid with her back to it until her butt hit her carpeted floor.  Tucking her legs to her chest, she made sure to press her face to her knees to silence the sobs that were inevitably coming.

She had not meant to become so emotionally attached to Lex, but the compatibility and chemistry were more than what she expected and could handle.  Now for the sake of her family and friends, she had to let go of a man with whom she found herself falling in love.

Meanwhile, downstairs, a frustrated Gabe loosened his tie and headed to the kitchen.  He grabbed the phone, dialed familiar numbers and waited for an answer.  It was a bluff.  Sixteen years as her father, he knew better.  She was hurting deep inside, so he had to call the cavalry.  

"Hello, Martha?"


	12. Chapter 12

CHAPTER TWELVE

_Disclaimers in Chapter One_

Lionel Luthor swaggered into Lex's study in search for his son, only to find him brooding in his leather desk chair. He stopped to observe the younger Luthor for a moment, noting the noticeable frown and drooped shoulders. "Son, has anyone ever tell you that frowning requires more muscles than smiling?"

Lex half-heartedly snapped out of his thoughts. "Then I suppose that you and I have very well-defined facial muscles, Dad," he retorted weakly.

The Luthor patriarch raised an eyebrow. "Alright, Alexander, what's the matter?"

"Like you care," Lex mumbled under his breath. When he caught Lionel's glare, he rolled his eyes and surrendered, not wanting to escalate the situation into a confrontation, as he really had no energy for it.

"Chloe Sullivan is not going to the ball," he confessed. "She initially told me that she wasn't going to, but I thought after dinner the other night, things would be different."

Lionel smirked. Who knew that his son could be so..smitten? "So you bring the girl over to your mansion, impress her with gourmet meatloaf and expect her to fall for you?" he taunted. "Lex, Lex, Lex…how amateur of you."

Lex threw a glare in his father's direction for the rather crass comment. "Gee, Dad, thanks," he responded with much sarcasm.

"Oh, come on, Lex," the older man prodded. "I'm just painting the big picture here. And as much as you'd rather think that it is to discourage you, it isn't."

Lex was surprised at the candor his dad was displaying in this exchange. Afraid to say anything that would warrant Lionel's change of heart, he remained silent.

Much to Lionel's frustration. "Look," he sighed. "Just because she said so doesn't mean anything, son."

Lex grunted. "I'm not forcing her to do anything that she wouldn't want to do, Dad."

"And how would you know that she wouldn't want to come to the ball?" Lionel retorted.

Boy, Lex's previous partners did a number on him and hit the bull's eye pretty damn hard. His son seemed to be allergic to anything remotely emotionally intimate. Lionel knew that even his attempts to persuade Lex in taking action on this matter would be to no avail. The young man was clearly heartbroken at the outcome of his affections toward Miss Sullivan.

"She told me," mumbled Lex, breaking Lionel out of his thoughts. "She's not coming, Dad. Even Clark and Lana said so."

The older Luthor had to dig inside myself to avoid laughing at Lex's sources. Clearly, Mr. Kent and Miss Lang had an agenda for tonight's festivities, but Lex was more focused on Miss Sullivan's pending absence to notice.

Pity, thought Lionel. What wrath he would have expected Lex to summon upon his "friends", if he found out that they were really the cause of his current misery.

"If you say so, son," Lionel feigned surrender as he turned to the exit. "I don't expect that Miss Sullivan's absence would stop you from coming to the ball, right?"

Lex groaned at the implication of his father's statement. Lionel Luthor had just issued a command on Lex to be at the ball, and while brooding in his study until he fell asleep for the night was tempting, crossing his father was not on his agenda.

"Yes," he blurted his answer weakly.

With that, Lionel left him, closing the doors on his way out. Purposefully, too, as he pulled out his cell phone when he reached a good distance from the study. "Hello, it's Lionel Luthor," he greeted.


End file.
